Isabella
by CocoPuff-Kitten
Summary: Set one month after the end of the movie! Beldam's back when a new family moves in! An OC, but Coraline and Wybie get centered as well! CoralinexWybie, one-sided WybiexOC, Other WybiexOC Rated K for romance and fighting! Prologue up!
1. Prologue

**Isabella**

Prologue

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An idea that's been brewing in my mind since I became obsessed with "Coraline". I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Disclaimer: I don't own Coraline or any of its characters, or even its plot. I simply plugged in my own OCs and added a twist. Isabella and her mother belong to me.

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_**New beginnings can offer many things. A chance for a new start, a chance for adventure, and perhaps a hint of danger...**_

_The door was locked. The key and hand were at the bottom of the well. All was calm and at peace. Coraline and Wybie didn't have to worry any longer. Cat could relax. Or so they thought..._

Hazel eyes stared out at the dreary landscape along the side of the deserted road, more of a green color at the moment because of the sunlight shining on them. Long, chestnut hair was brushed back by a pale, bony hand out of the girl's face. Red-tinged lips were set in a bored, aggravated scowl as her free hand rested on her lap. Feeling the rough material of her blue jeans, her white sneakers twisted against the carpeted floor of the black car.

Fidgeting now out of boredom, the girl turned up the volume on her white i-Pod Shuffle with an experienced finger. Squirming a bit in her seat and causing her brown felt jacket to scrape roughly against the seat, she sighed quite audibly. The brown-haired woman in the driver's seat next to her let out a sigh of her own and rolled her blue eyes, shifting slightly in the seat so that her own jeans rubbed against the material. A white sneakered foot pressed down on the gas pedal as the woman simultaneously nudged the girl with an elbow, plaid wool jacket brushing against the brown felt.

"Come on, Isabella. I thought you wanted to leave Ohio... You were always complaining about how boring and dreary it was there," the woman stated.

The girl, Isabella, sent a glare at the woman out of the corner of her eye. "Because it was. And I was glad when you said we were moving. But to Oregon?! That's just as boring and cold and wet as Ohio! At least there we had Cleveland. But what does Oregon have?? Nothing," she huffed.

The woman sighed again. "Now, you know that's not true. Oregon has plenty of things..."

"Oh really? Name three." Isabella countered swiftly, pausing the song currently playing on her MP3 player with a smirk. She had to hear this.

The woman hesitated, frowning as she tried to think of three examples. "Well, there's, uh...a-and of course there's the, um..." she stammered.

"Ha! See? Nothing. The only good thing about this place is the fact that where we're staying is going to be pink. But I still don't see _why _we had to move..." Isabella grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest.

The woman brought a hand to her temple and rubbed the muscles there, feeling a headache coming on. "Isabella, we've been through this. We couldn't afford to keep the house and the shop any longer. We were forced to sell everything just to get enough money for this move. And it was a chance we couldn't pass up... If it wasn't for your grandmother's old friend sending us that offer for lowered rent, who knows what we would have done."

Isabella rolled her eyes, a deep frown set in her face. "Couldn't we have found somewhere else to stay? Seriously, mom! We're in the middle of nowhere!"

"No, we're not. If we were in the middle of nowhere, you're father wouldn't have a job. The Pink Palace Apartments is only a few miles outside of Ashland... And besides, it's not like we're going to be the only ones living there. I heard there's a family and another man staying there, as well as the landlady's grandson."

"Mom! You know I'm not good with strangers! Especially with kids around my age...I'm so self-conscious..." Isabella muttered, looking back out the window with a sad expression.

Her mother gave a soft sigh and glanced at Isabella, frowning slightly. "I know...but maybe, this will be good for you. A fresh start. Just..._try _to be friendly. For your father and I, all right? Please?"

Isabella glanced back at her mother for a moment, and then sighed heavily. "Fine...I'll try..." she muttered.

Her mother smiled. "Thank you. It shouldn't be much longer...I think we've already covered two or three miles out of Ashland."

Isabella didn't reply, simply pressed the "Play" button on her i-Pod and let her imagination run free. Resting her forehead against the cool glass of the window, her thoughts drifted to her life in Ohio and how different it would be so many states away...

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Okay, so I know that this is partially going to revolve around an OC, which people don't normally like. But I promise you guys that Coraline and Wybie get just as much screen time! If I make mistakes, or if you have suggestions, feel free to point them out for me in a review! Remember, reviews hold my interest to a story and give me inspiration to type and please! Thanks! Oh yeah, and if any of you artists out there could do me a favor and draw my OCs, I'd highly appreciate it and be forever grateful! I'll try making them myself on MS Paint, but we all know how THAT looks...


	2. The Liones

**Isabella**

Chapter One: The Liones

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Here it is! The update...no one's been waiting for?! DX Aw, man... No reviews... I think one person is reading this, um...dangit! I'm horrible with names. ^^; Whoever you were, sorry that I forgot your name! If you left a review, I'd remember it for sure. -hint hint- Heh, anyway, if there are any other readers out there, PLEASE review! I'd like to know this is being read if it is...

Disclaimer: I don't own Coraline or any of its characters, or even its plot. I simply plugged in my own OCs and added a twist. The entire Lione family (Adam, Melody, Isabella, Conrad, and Kelly) belongs to me.

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_**Anything can happen when new neighbors arrive. Good or bad, it's always interesting.**_

_We discovered that a new family is about to move into the Pink Palace Apartments. How will the other residents react?_

"Hey, mom, aren't the new neighbors arriving today?" Coraline asked, taking a bite of her cereal. She was dressed in her favorite white-and-pink striped sweater, along with a pair of blue jeans.

Mel, sitting at the table with Charlie, nodded. "Yes, they are. I'm surprised that Mrs. Lovat managed to rent it out so quickly."

"I think Wybie mentioned that she knew someone who needed a place to stay. It's supposed to be a big family...do you think they'll fit in Miss Spink and Miss Forcible's old basement flat?" Coraline asked.

"Well, I'm sure they'll try, Coraline. I don't think they would have rented the room if they didn't know what they were doing. Once they get here, why don't you go and say hi?" Charlie replied, smiling.

Coraline grinned; she was always up for meeting new people or doing new things. "Okay! Oh, what if I made them a bouquet of flowers from the gardening as a house-er, apartment-warming present?"

"That's a great idea, Coraline! There's plenty, so taking a few won't do any harm," Charlie answered happily.

"Just don't get too dirty," Mel warned.

Coraline rolled her eyes, dropping her bowl and spoon in the sink. "I know, mom. Don't worry, it's nice and dry out there so there's no mud to worry about!" Without waiting for a reply, Coraline dashed upstairs to her bedroom and grabbed her messenger bag. In it were her gardening supplies and some other items she carried around that might come in handy. A flashlight, bandages, etc.

Running back downstairs, she opened the front door and breathed in the cool morning air. "I'm going!" she called. Hearing a faint reply from her parents, she walked out of the apartment and closed the door. Smiling, she made her way down the dirt path towards the garden, thinking over what flowers to get for the new neighbors. _Tulips would be nice...maybe some daffodils and roses..._

Meanwhile, about a mile or two away, Wybie was busy working on his grandmother's old Chevy. It was falling apart; no matter how many times he tried to fix it, it would break again in a few days. At the moment, he was busy screwing in the last bolt after having fixed the fuselage under the car. _Just a few more turns and it should-_

"WYBOURNE!!!"

Wybie gasped in surprise, shooting up only to bang his head against the undercarriage of the car. Hissing in pain and grimacing, he rubbed his now throbbing head as he slid out from under the car. Seeing an amused Cat laying on a workbench nearby, his wince and grimace turned into a scowl and glare. "It's not funny, Cat! Man, that hurt...coming, Gramma!" he called, standing up. Wiping the oil off of his hands and onto his work overalls-which had already gone from blue to grey-he tossed the wrench into a toolbox and headed inside the house from the garage.

His grandmother was in the kitchen, like usual, sitting at the table with a cup of half-cold coffee in her grip. "Sit down, Wybourne. I need you to do something for me."

Wybie blinked in surprise, but sat down in the only vacant chair at the table and waited for his grandmother to explain what she wanted of him.

"Wybourne, you remember that I've rented out the basement apartment to a new family, right?"

"Yeah, Gramma. Aren't they coming today?"

"Yes, they are. I need you to go down to the Pink Palace and wait for them. They should be there within the hour, and when they get there you need to give them the key to their apartment. Understand?" As she spoke, Wybie's grandmother set a key on the table, which Wybie took and shoved into a pocket.

"Okay, Gramma. Don't you worry about a thing, I'll make sure they get their key." He stood and left the kitchen, heading upstairs to his bedroom. Pulling off his work overalls and changing into his usual clothes-boots, blue jeans, white shirt, black jacket-and tossing the soiled overalls into a corner, he completely forgot about the key that was still in the overalls' pocket. Wybie wasn't really in a rush to get to the Pink Palace to give the new family their key, or even to meet them. He was excited to go see Coraline, even if they hung out together almost every day.

After all, who else was there to hang out with? It was still summer, and they were quite a ways from town. They kept each other company and entertained themselves in any way they could think of. _But that's gonna change now... According to Gramma, there's kids in this new family. Even one our age... _Wybie thought as he went back downstairs, heading through the kitchen to the garage.

"I'm going, Gramma!" he stated as he walked past her.

"Do you have the key, Wybourne?" she asked knowingly.

Wybie stopped dead in his tracks, patting his pockets and then blushing slightly. "Uh...no. Heh...be right back!" He dashed back upstairs, pulling the forgotten key out of his overalls and shoving it into a pocket in his jacket. _Whew. Good thing Gramma knows me too well... _Wybie thought, running back downstairs and through the kitchen.

"Okay, _now_ I'm going!" he said quickly as he ran past. Hopping onto his bike, he managed to hear his grandmother yelling at him from the kitchen as he slipped on his mask.

"Be careful, Wybourne! And don't get distracted by banana slugs or worms or anything else!"

"I will be, Gramma! And I won't!" Wybie called back, glancing over at Cat. "You coming?"

Cat stretched and stood, blinking once in answer before leaping from the work bench and dashing out of the garage.

Wybie laughed and started after him. "Hey! Wait up!" It was times like these that Wybie was glad for his bike skills, since riding one through the woods was no easy task. One had to watch for protruding roots and rocks, as well as low-hanging branches that could send the unwary cyclist flying off of his seat. Cat, of course, always ended up way ahead, able to bypass all of these obstacles with ease thanks to his small form and agility.

It was only a matter of minutes until Wybie could see the Pink Palace coming into view, and with a rush he broke out of the woods and into the clearing surrounding the old house. Spotting Cat running towards the Jones' garden, he figured that must be where Coraline was. _Maybe I can give her a quick scare...hehe_, he thought, grinning under his mask. Speeding off towards the house, he didn't notice a familiar blue figure performing his exercises on the lawn. By the time he did, it was too late to stop, and he was forced to make a sharp right turn...into a rosebush.

"Gah!!" "Watch where you are going, Devil child! Let those thorns teach you a good lesson, da?" Mr. Bobinsky yelled, shaking a fist at Wybie before leaping off to a more quiet part of the yard. Coraline, having seen the whole ordeal along with Cat, sighed and walked over to the half-crushed bush. Grabbing Wybie's hand, she yanked him out of the pile of leaves, roses, and thorns, accompanied by a yelp of pain courtesy of Wybie.

"You really did it this time, _Why-were-you-born_. You're going to have to explain this to mom and dad; it was one of their favorite rosebushes," Coraline explained, giving a sly smile. Wybie groaned, wincing as he pulled a thorn from his nose. "Ouch! I know...I was trying to surprise you. But...now I'm covered in thorns. Ow! Be careful!" Wybie whined as Coraline plucked another thorn from his neck; he was clearly exaggerating, since his thick clothing had protected most of his body. _Poor Wybie. If only he didn't land on his head so much..._ Cat thought, licking at a paw.

It only took a minute or so for the two kids to clear Wybie of his thorn problem, and then Coraline led the way to where she'd been preparing a bouquet of flowers. "So, what have you been up to, _Caroline_?" Wybie asked, getting payback for earlier when she'd made fun of his name. She frowned and stuck her tongue out at him playfully, then pointed at the half-finished bouquet. "I've been making a bouquet of flowers for the new family that's moving in. As an apartment-warming gift, you know? To brighten up the basement," Coraline explained, remembering how dark it had been down there.

"Well, it looks nice so far. That's...tulips, and...daffodils, and roses, right?" he asked, pointing out each flower type. She nodded, grabbing some mint and baby's breath that she'd cut just before Wybie's crash landing. "Yep. So, any other reason you came down here than just to bug me?" Coraline asked jokingly, smirking at the light blush that came to Wybie's cheeks. "Er, of course! Gramma wanted me to give the key to the basement to the new family when they arrive. Which should be pretty soon..."

As if to prove his point, the sound of wheels on dirt could be heard on the other side of the garden. "They're here! But the bouquet's not finished yet! It's still missing something..." Coraline muttered, frowning and trying to think of what the missing component could be. Suddenly, a meow interrupted her thoughts, and she looked over at Cat with an irritated expression. However, when she noticed the daisies he was sitting next to, a smile bloomed upon her face.

"Yeah, that's it! Daisies! Thanks, Cat!!" she said happily. Quickly cutting a few of the simple white-and-yellow flowers, she added them to the bouquet and tied the bunch off with a white satin ribbon. "Come on, Wybie. Let's go see who our new neighbors are!" Coraline stated excitedly, running off through the garden. Wybie grinned; he loved seeing Coraline so excited and enthusiastic, no matter what the cause.

"Meow." Wybie blinked and looked over at Cat, who was giving him a "Hurry up!" look with his blue eyes. Realizing that he was _supposed _to be running, he followed after Coraline with Cat on his heels. By the time they reached the drive, all of the vehicles in the convoy had parked and the movers were already opening up the back of the moving van. Along with the van, there was an indigo Ford truck and a black Neon.

The driver's door of the truck opened, and a tall, slightly bulky man stepped out. His dark brown hair was spiked, matching his equally dark brown eyes. He wore a black shirt, a tan light jacket, blue jeans, and brown work boots. "That must be the dad. I'd better go give him the key so they can start moving in their stuff," Wybie stated, pulling the key out of his pocket. As he started towards the man, said father opened the back door of the truck.

Out hopped a young boy, no older than five, with dirty blonde hair shaved close to his head. His hazel eyes flashed with mischievous excitement as he looked around, thin build sticking out like a sore thumb. He wore white sneakers, blue jeans, and a dark blue shirt with a yellow stripe across the front and back. Wybie tensed a little; he had a bad feeling that this kid was going to be trouble. The feeling grew in strength as he watched the boy dash off towards the Pink Palace, likely going exploring before he would be forced to help unpack.

"Uh, excuse me?" Wybie called out nervously; the man was currently reaching into the back of the truck for something. "One sec! C'mon, Kelly," said the man. A few seconds later, he straightened and turned to face Wybie, a little girl around the age of two held in his arms. Light brown hair fell to her shoulders, brown eyes only a few shades lighter than her father's.

All she wore was a pink dress, white sneakers, and a diaper, and she looked absolutely adorable like any baby would. "Hey. What's up?" the man asked, getting Wybie's attention. Wybie gulped, still nervous, and even more so now that he saw just how tall the man was up close. "Uh, I-I'm Wybie Lovat. My gramma owns the Pink Palace...she wanted me to give you the, um, key," he explained. Wybie held out the key, and the man took it with a smile.

"Thanks. For a second there, I was worried we'd be locked out! I'm Adam Lione, and this here is Kelly, my daughter. Say 'hi', Kelly," Adam said. Kelly smiled, giggling a little as she waved a hand. Wybie couldn't help but smile and wave back; the girl was just too cute!

Meanwhile, Coraline had made her way over to the Neon, reaching it just as the driver's door opened. The woman in the plaid wool coat stepped out, blinking in surprise when she saw Coraline. "Uh, hi. I'm Coraline Jones, one of your neighbors..." Coraline began, smiling and brushing off the slight hesitation that accompanied a new face. The woman smiled as she closed the door, neither hearing the passenger door open.

"Well hi, Coraline. It's nice to meet you. I'm Melody Lione," the woman greeted warmly. Coraline was relieved to see that Mrs. Lione was nice, meaning the rest of the family might also be nice. "I made a bouquet for you as an apartment-warming gift, Mrs. Lione," she stated, handing Melody the flowers. She smelled them and sighed, cradling the bouquet in her arms. "Thank you, Coraline. These are wonderful! Isabella, come over here and say hi."

Isabella, who had been watching from the other side of the car by the passenger door, tensed visibly. Swallowing nervously, she walked over to stand beside her mother and Coraline, hands shoved into the pockets of her jeans. "Hi..." she muttered shyly. Coraline blinked in surprise, being reminded of when she had first met Wybie. But even_ he _hadn't been this nervous and quiet, and at the time she'd been mad at him.

"Hi, I'm Coraline. You're Isabella?" she greeted, trying to be friendly. Isabella nodded, smiling a little. "Yeah. Coraline's a cool name...I've never heard it before," she replied, relaxing a little. To Isabella's relief, Coraline seemed nice. _Just don't screw it up...this is your second chance, Isabella,_ she thought worriedly.

Melody had left the two girls alone, going to join the rest of her family by the Pink Palace. "Isabella's a cool name, too. I've never heard yours before. So...I guess we're even," Coraline said, laughing a little. Isabella laughed along with her, but the moment was broken when they both heard screaming. Isabella gasped, recognizing the voice and flipping around. "Conrad?!"

As if on cue, the little boy from the truck came dashing around the side of the house, running like the hounds of Hell were on his heels. "MOM!! MOM!!" he yelled, practically tackling Melody. The woman held her son, looking at him in shock. "Conrad, what's wrong?" she asked. "That!!" he answered fearfully, pointing.

A tall figure suddenly jumped into view, making the parents gasp in surprise. Kelly, Conrad, and Isabella shrieked. Coraline and Wybie simultaneously blinked and stared.

"................."

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So there you have it. I hope I kept Mel, Charlie, Coraline, Cat, and Wybie in-character. I'd hate to make them OOC. But if they are, let me know in a review! Then I can improve. ^_^ So anyway, we've now been introduced to the Lione family. I'll be making a picture of the three new family members; Adam, Conrad, and Kelly. Also, who's the mystery figure that scared the bajeebers outta them? Not who you're all expecting! You'll just have to wait and read the next chapter to find out. Heehee. So review, please! And look-out for my new artwork! As soon as it's finished, I'll get straight to work on the next chapter of "The Crystal Keys"!


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